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I just read a quote in which someone, on behalf of herself and her spouse, wrote "Our heart goes out for ....". I Googled to know if when it comes to speaking about heart not as a body organ, is it possible to use it in the singular form, but I could not find any reliable source for that.

So, what is the correct form for such situations and does it apply for other organs, specifically brain?

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    Probably they meant their “heart” as a couple.
    – Gio
    Commented Sep 15, 2023 at 16:35
  • Related, if not a duplicate: Head or heads?
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Commented Sep 15, 2023 at 16:38
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    Google ngrams show that both 'our heart goes out to' and 'our hearts go out to' are used, the latter being much the more common, emphasising the level of concern rather than the unity of those concerned. But with metaphorical usages especially, the distributive singular is common. 'The boys wanted to get something off their chest but had a change of heart.'
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Sep 15, 2023 at 16:49
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    The answer is that the distributive plural is grammatically acceptable here (as indicated in the previous thread); research shows that the plural is also available and more common in this particular case. This is not always the case: 'The visitors wanted to get something off their chest but had a change of heart'
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Sep 15, 2023 at 19:00
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    RELATED: When to use "lives" as a plural of life? and Is it proper to say, "our mind" or "our minds" as each person has one mind; or is it considered collectively?
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Sep 16, 2023 at 10:46

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